Can't set up End-to-End encryption without password to old device

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Can't set up End-to-End encryption without password to old device

I'm trying to finish setting up a new phone, and one of the steps is to resume data syncing with iCloud, which requires end-to-end encryption. I tap on "Resume Data Sync" and am prompted to enter the password to an older MacBook Pro, which I no longer have and do not recall the password that was used. I then tap on "Don't know MacBook Pro password?" link, which then prompts me to Choose Another Device. However, the only two devices listed are that same MacBook.

iCloud data not syncing isn't a problem since I don't have that laptop anymore, but there are other features that I would like to enable that require end-to-end encryption (like setting up a legacy contact), and I'm stuck in this same cycle of asking for a password to a device that no longer exists.

I have removed that device from my Apple ID profile, so I'm not sure where to go from here.

Posted on Nov 3, 2025 6:57 AM

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Answer 1

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Mac Jim ID

Level 9

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Nov 3, 2025 7:27 AM in response to LionsFan_20

The reason why you are seeing that is because you have some data currently in iCloud that is encrypted using the password of your old computer. You will not be able to recover, or resume syncing, that data without the password to decrypt it or another device that is currently syncing that encrypted data.

Go to Settings on your iPhone where you should see a red exclamation point saying the data cannot sync where you also have the Resume Syncing option and Don't know Password like you see when setting up the device. In Settings, you should also have another option to delete the encrypted data from iCloud to continue syncing with the data from your iPhone. The encrypted data is unrecoverable without that key to decrypt it, so your only option is to erase it so your iPhone can continue to sync its encrypted data to iCloud.

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